Skiers who blast through congested areas at some Utah resorts this year may find themselves kicked off the slopes.
The first time a ski patrol officer flags down a misbehaving skier at Park City Mountain Resort, he will mark the skier's day pass or clip the season pass. The second time, "the day pass is taken away and they're asked to leave the mountain," said the resort's Melissa O'Brien."On the second warning on a full-season pass holder, their pass will be suspended or taken away from them for two weeks," she said.
Utah resorts are responding to a safety initiative by the National Ski Areas Association called "Heads Up for Safety." The initiative was issued on Thursday, and many resorts are still studying it. Park City Mountain Resort began enforcing a similar rule this past spring and will continue the regulations in the new season.
The national group "put together a program to provide a safer experience for the skier. I think that all of us feel it's important," said Kip Pitou, president of the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association, which has about 300 members such as resorts, lodges, wholesalers, law firms, government groups and others interested in skiing.
"All of us are looking at it and determining how to deal with it."
The initiative urges resorts to put up signs and to educate skiers on a skier responsibility code. It targets guests, ski area employees and the news media.
The responsibility code requires skiers to stay in control, realize that those ahead have the right of way and stop in a place that is safe for themselves and others. Whenever a skier is starting downhill or merging, he is supposed to "look uphill and yield" if necessary.
The code also requires skiers to stay off closed trails, observe signs and warnings and know how to use the lifts safely.
At resorts, "every trail is marked" with signs indicating whether skiers there should be beginners, intermediate skiers or advanced, said Pitou. Besides the signs at the trail heads, maps show the same indications, he said.
Skiers should go at the proper speed for each trail, he added. "There's a great concern about safety because obviously skiing has an inherent risk and we want to keep that risk to a minimum."
The national group's initiative recently came out "and our resorts are looking at it and studying it," he said. They may reach some decisions before the season begins, expected to be between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1.
"We actually just got the information," said Christa Graff, communications manager at Deer Valley Resort, Park City. "NSAA and safety initiatives are something that we always embrace."
Certain runs are designated for slow skiing or family areas, she added. "On those runs we'll have the ski patrol or mountain host department out there on a daily basis," asking skiers to slow down if necessary.
Will Deer Valley relieve violators of their ski passes? "Most of the time if we ask somebody to slow down they're very receptive to that," she said.
At Brian Head Resort, staffing is not up to full levels yet, said communications director Stephen Lane. But managers will be going over the new national safety initiative this week, he said.
"As a ski resort, that's (safety) always something you're mostly focused on," he said.
One of the safety precautions Snowbird has taken is to make more snow early in the season, said Fred Rollins, acting director of communications and public relations at that Little Cottonwood Canyon resort. That makes skiing safer because it makes the snow more even.
Also, he said, "we have people stationed on the mountain at all times," watching out for skiers who are out of control or going too fast. They will pull over unsafe skiers, he said.
"We certainly applaud NSAA's initiative and wholeheartedly support their efforts," he added.
O'Brien said a new eight-member group called the Courtesy Patrol will be on the slopes again this year at Park City, looking out for less-experienced skiers. Also, orange plastic fencing will be put up on congested areas or where ski runs converge, forcing skiers to go slow, she said.